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CNN defamation trial goes to jury after powerful closing arguments

Lawyers in U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young’s high-profile defamation case against CNN delivered powerful closing arguments Thursday.

Yang claims CNN defamed him in a November 2021 report by reporter Alex Marquardt, which first aired on “Jake Tapper’s Lead,” suggesting he was The Biden administration has illegally profited from desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan after withdrawing troops, suggesting he was involved in “black market” dealings and ruining his professional reputation.

“CNN conducted a calculated attack on his character that caused deep and lasting harm,” Vel Freedman, Yang’s lead attorney, told jurors.

Friedman added: “Zach’s ability to proudly walk into a room and be seen as a professional with integrity was taken away. His pain and anguish, the mental anguish, seeing his name dragged through the mud. “These hurts go beyond monetary losses. They cut into his soul and who he was.”

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Vel Freedman delivers closing arguments in Zachary Young’s defamation trial against CNN.

“The scars of that humiliation … will never go away,” Friedman said, reminding jurors that Young testified that he was on medication and being treated for depression and panic attacks.

“This is a former SEAL cadet, a CIA agent who can no longer work,” Friedman said.

“No man or woman should have to endure this kind of pain,” he continued. “Of course not because [CNN] Want clicks and views.

Friedman accused CNN of “deliberately” omitting key facts from reports that aired on multiple programs, such as that Yang “never expected the Afghans to pay” anything and that he only worked with corporate sponsors.

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Zachary Young

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young is the plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit against CNN. (Jessica Costescu)

Friedman also reminded jurors that many CNN staffers testified that the term “black market” was accurate, while others said there was no need for the network to issue an on-air apology. CNN News Senior Vice President and Executive Editorial Director Adam Levine even admitted under oath that CNN was only apologizing to Young for legal purposes.

“None of them were sorry. They both said they would do it again,” Friedman told jurors.

Friedman pointed to Levine’s testimony that there was no “conspiracy” against Young, but he told jurors that remarks in internal CNN documents proved otherwise.

He called on jurors to hold CNN accountable, “change the course of history” and “correct this injustice.”

Friedman also summarized Young’s identity ahead of the CNN show, discussing his relationship with his mother, wife and career and military background. He called Young a “former spy” who had been trained by the CIA, Blackwater and the Navy SEALs.

“Zach is at the peak of his career,” Friedman said.

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CNN is facing a defamation lawsuit as the network prepares for Thursday's presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Trump.

The heart of the trial was first aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” (CNN/Screenshot)

Young testified that he helped rescue at least 22 women and an infant from Afghanistan on behalf of corporate sponsors including Bloomberg Media and Amazon-owned Audible. Although that was omitted from CNN’s report, Friedman told jurors that Yang was portrayed as a “predator” operating in the “black market.”

Friedman also reminded jurors of some of the major highlights of the eight-day trial, such as CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis not telling Young that he would be the focus of the story, Marquardt Admits he has no evidence Young exploited any Afghans, Jake Tapper’s trailer used to promote clip of “desperate Afghans being plundered,” CNN internals and Marquardt joke about video of his alleged phone call to Young is “drama,” used to describe Yang’s caustic language.

Friedman pointed out that Yang’s past contract stipulated that he would be fired for operating on the “black market,” and suggested that one of them came after seven different CNN staffers defined the term as “unregulated” rather than illegal. A conspiracy is taking place.

“Don’t let CNN rewrite the English language to avoid liability in this case,” Friedman said.

Friedman also argued that CNN’s internal references to “racketeering” and “fraud” from the beginning of the report clearly showed that the network knew from the beginning that they were investigating Yang’s illegal activities, undermining their view that The definition of “black market”.

“You have a tool that can save the American press. It’s called punitive damages. Use it,” Friedman said.

“Use your common sense. What is he hiding? CNN has the facts,” he told jurors, who were “arbiters of justice and whose decisions can send a message to other media companies.”

CNN libel trial: Although CNN apologizes for reporting, editor insists reference to ‘black market’ is accurate

Yang claimed that CNN smeared him in a November 2021 report by reporter Alex Marquardt that first appeared in "Starring Jake Tapper," Implying his involvement in illegally profiting from desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan as the Biden administration withdraws troops "Montenet" trade and thus ruined his professional reputation.

CNN chief attorney David Axelrod delivers closing arguments. (Fox News Media)

CNN chief attorney David Axelrod delivered the defense’s closing argument. He began by urging the jury to look carefully at the evidence and “do the right thing,” instructing them to use “common sense.”

Axelrod warned that he would repeatedly use the word “common sense” in his speeches.

“Is this a conspiracy or are you seeing people doing their best?” Axelrod asked.

He told them their job was not to “deliver a message” to the media but to use common sense to determine what actually happened. Axelrod called CNN’s reporting “tough but fair” and suggested Yang “inject himself” into the story through LinkedIn messages that Afghans could see.

He suggested that Young suffered no actual damage and told jurors that no witnesses came forward to say they did not hire him because of CNN’s reporting. Axelrod told jurors that an activist named Jill Kornetsky tipped off a CNN reporter because he offered services “on LinkedIn” and she “didn’t think it was right.” of”.

Axelrod criticized Yang for admitting beforehand that he didn’t suspect Marquardt was trying to call him during pretrial testimony and suggesting that CNN, with its powerful fact-checking apparatus, denied that two hours was not enough time for Yang to respond. point of view.

“He didn’t want the story to come out,” Axelrod said.

“That doesn’t mean CNN defamed him,” Axelrod added. “If this is because they hate Mr. Yang and are trying to hurt him, why would they add his own words?”

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CNN is facing a defamation lawsuit as the network prepares for Thursday's presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Trump.

Plaintiff Zachary Young claims that CNN defamed him by suggesting that he illegally profited from helping people flee Afghanistan through the “black market” during the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. (CNN/Screenshot)

Axelrod said the definition of “black market” was not important because “contextually” it was used to “accurately” describe the situation in Afghanistan.

Axelrod argued that more people watched the aired apology than the original report itself, ignoring that more people aired the report on CNN than the apology itself. He also fired employees who disagreed with the apology and said the apology would have been the final word on the matter if Young had never filed suit.

Lawyers for CNN also touted the network’s journalistic ethics and accused Young of misleading doctors by claiming he was in Afghanistan during the evacuation to get a stronger diagnosis of his mental health condition.

“At the end of the day, you need to look at all the evidence and see if it makes sense … use your common sense,” Axelrod said.

“A defamation is called a libel because it hurts someone,” he added. “There are no witnesses to support that. Not one.”

Axelrod also suggested that Young may have deleted LinkedIn messages in which he discussed money with Afghans, and reminded jurors that the plaintiffs relied heavily on paid expert witnesses, noting that because Young currently lives in Austria, Therefore no Austrian physician was summoned. He said CNN was “not negligent” and that the publication did not suggest that Yang took money directly from Afghans and that no one but Yang himself took a negative view of the story.

“Use your common sense,” Axelrod told jurors, adding that punitive damages were “unnecessary.”

The ongoing trial can be streamed live here.

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